Moment To Moment
by RedLion2
Summary: A collection of one-shots showcasing the small moments between Keith and Allura, and sometimes the rest of the team. Set during the Devil's Due run of comics.


I don't own Voltron or its associated characters.

I'm writing this specifically for the KAEX group, and for Cubbie, who wrote such a nice review of my story, "Shall We Dance," and who is a very supportive Voltron fan. This one-shot takes place during the Devil's Due run of comics, which was fantastic and ultimately shot down just when it was getting good…

Because I don't have time to do a full-out story, I'm going to simply write some one-shots, all collected beneath the title, _Moment to Moment._ Each one will explore, a little more deeply, Keith and Allura's growing relationship.

**CONNECTIONS**

The sun was beginning to set over Arus, washing the planet in gentle hues of pink, orange and violet. Princess Allura Antares, rightful ruler and heir to King Alfor the Generous, watched from the balcony outside her newly-finished bedroom. A gentle breeze caught the ends of her blonde hair, left unbound, and played through them, causing a few to tickle her cheeks. She brushed them back, her thoughts far from the balcony.

_I still can't believe it. We formed Voltron. Voltron! _A smile broke across her delicate face, and a giggle welled up within her, escaping into the cooling night air. It gave her pause – when was the last time she'd been happy enough to giggle? Certainly not in the years since Zarkon had razed her kingdom to the ground, nearly destroying her planet in the process. But with the arrival of the space explorers from Earth, and their knowledge of the mighty robot warrior, she'd found some reasons to be happy. Her people were finally starting to accept the explorers, seeing them for the saviors that they were. Without them, Arus would still be nothing. They'd still be living in the caves and caverns like rodents. The young men from Earth were changing the lives of the Arusians for the better.

_Mine especially,_ she mused. Her thoughts jumped to the men of the Voltron Force, and to one in particular. Commander Keith Kogane was a bit of an enigma. He was quiet, and kept to himself most of the time, unless someone needed help with something. She knew that there were some things in his past that he didn't want to talk about; she'd overheard Lance several nights ago trying to talk to Keith about something, and the Commander hadn't been forthcoming at all. But everyone was entitled to have secrets. She sighed and turned away from the balcony railing. There were some projects that she wanted to check on.

The rebuilding of the Castle of Lions was going well. Hunk and Pidge had thrown themselves into the work with enthusiasm. Sven was heading up the security. Lance was helping some of the best farmers they had develop new crops. And Keith...well, he seemed to be everywhere at once. Allura smiled as she headed down to the new control room, where Coran was watching the new security systems that had been installed the week before.

"Princess. Is everything all right?" Coran asked, turning to her as she entered. Coran Melchior had been one of Alfor's most-trusted advisors, and had been the overseer of the Skywatchers, the team of long-range sensor technicians who used a chain of satellites to watch over the skies of Arus. Now, though, he did whatever he could to help the young princess in her pursuit of restoring Arus to its former glory.

"Yes," she said. She glanced around the room. "How is everything here? Anything unusual on the sensors?"

"No." Coran shook his head. "And if there were, I would've sounded the alarm." Allura nodded, knowing this. But she wanted to be ready the next time Zarkon struck, because she was sure he would.

"I'll see you later," she said and left the room, leaving Coran to his new duties. She stopped, deciding where to go next. Some of the other things she wanted to look over could wait until the next day, she knew. What she really wanted was to get out of the castle and take a walk. Knowing this wouldn't be looked upon favorably by the Force or Coran, she didn't tell anyone, and left through a side entrance left unguarded.

She took a faint trail that led toward the area where they were keeping the massive Voltron lions. Just the sight of the giant metal cats brought a smile to her face. _Arus will never fall again,_ she promised herself. With Voltron as their guardian, her planet would be safe, and her people free to become the great society had been under her father's reign. _And it's all because Keith and the others came to help us._ At the thought of the handsome Commander, though, her smile fell away. She sensed loneliness in him, loneliness that she wanted to erase, forever. _But how? He won't ever open up to me._ She knew he was frustrated at times with their lack of technology, with the way her people still feared the explorers at times. That was understandable, of course. He came from a planet teeming with technology that saw new breakthroughs almost every day.

And she understood the loneliness. She had been the same way for years, after the death of her parents and of their planet. Zarkon had taken away _so_ much, and she had yet to regain any sort of balance. But there was hope now, hope that arrived in the form of the five space explorers from Galaxy Garrison. She walked up the foot of the huge Blue lion, _her_ lion, and reached out to touch it. Something tingled, and she gasped, looking up at the metal creature. Even dormant, the energy of the lion was notable. Tears welled up in her blue eyes. It was if the lion was trying to tell her everything was going to be okay, that in the end, Arus would rise. She wiped at her eyes and closed them, turning so she could lean back against the lion.

"You shouldn't be out here alone."

The firm ring of disapproval in Keith's voice made Allura jump. She opened her eyes to find him standing in front of her, arms crossed over his chest, a glint of steel in his brown eyes. He seemed to be waiting for her to defend herself, to tell him she had every right to be out here by herself, that this was _her_ planet and _her_ lion, and that he didn't need to protect her.

But she could muster none of those words, none of the bravado she suspected he was waiting for. Instead, she bowed her head, trying to calm herself before the tears hovering in her eyes leaked out to betray her decaying state of emotions. She knew she'd been holding everything in, trying to be strong, for years. After her parents had died, she was the rightful ruler, and even at her young age, she'd felt the constant pressure to lead, to be the princess her people needed her to be. Now, with the discovery of Voltron, and the promise for a better world for her people, she was finally able to let go of all those emotions that had roiled within her since Zarkon had first burned Arus down.

A tear slipped down from the corner of her right eye, slid past her nose, and fell gently from her chin. She heard a sharp inhale of breath from Keith, and ventured a look up at him, her eyes swimming in tearful emotion. He looked stricken with horror, and she wasn't sure what she could do or say to make it better for him. She hadn't planned on breaking down like this, but it simply couldn't be held inside any longer. A small sob escaped her chest as more tears fell, and she buried her head in her hands.

A few moments passed, and she heard him move closer. Still no words, but she didn't expect him to know what to say. But when his arms came around her, and held her close to his chest, no words were needed. The tears fell faster, and the sobs were harder, and he never let go. He was warm and strong, and she knew instinctively that he would always be here for her, no matter what.

After a few minutes, she was able to gain control over her emotions, and the tears dried. She didn't know what to say to him. What _could_ she say? That they shared a connection was obvious – she shared with one with _all_ the lion pilots. But this, this was different. He gave her a soft squeeze, her cue he was letting go, and moved away from her. She watched him, wondering if he would offer any words of comfort. Whatever he offered, if anything, would be nothing to what he'd already given her.

"You should try and get some rest," he finally said.

"I'll try," she said. She wanted to thank him, but he would be uncomfortable with that, so she said nothing. He looked at her, a glance really, and she saw then how her emotions had affected his own. She was getting a glimpse into his soul, at last, and she saw how wounded he was, how hard he was trying to keep himself together, for her sake. For the sake of his team. And maybe most of all, for his own sake. And in that one peek into his heart, that one moment with nothing solid between them, she saw his devotion and honor, his integrity. But she also saw something that nearly moved her to tears again, the one thing she'd been wishing and praying for. She saw a pulse of love, and it was meant for her. Maybe not right then, maybe not for months, but it was there, and growing.

"I'll walk you back," he said. His voice broke the moment into pieces and she nodded, coming to his side. They were quiet on the way back in, and when he left her at her room, she watched him until he was out of sight. She dressed for bed and fell into it, exhausted and somehow giddy and anxious, though she knew she shouldn't feel that way so soon. They hadn't known each other long. But what had passed between them this night, what he had given her, and allowed her to see, made their connection all the brighter and stronger.

She slept soundly for the first time in years.


End file.
